What is Branding? What is Marketing? What are the relationship and Differences between both? Which comes first? There is a spectrum of questions and several answers for it.
Are you confused about the meaning of branding? Do not worry about it; because even the people who have studied marketing get confused about the concept of branding and marketing. Let us have a look at it to get the detailed answers in simple words.

What is Branding?

“A brand is a name, term, design, symbol, or any other feature that identifies one seller’s good or service as distinct from those of other sellers” (American Marketing Association).

Branding refers to a business or a marketing practice of creating a name, symbol, or design that identifies a particular company, product, or individual making it unique from the other products.

In simple words, it is the art of highlighting a particular company by attracting the attention of the audience; also a strategy used to make the products remarkable and exceptional.

A brand is different from things like logos, slogans, or other recognizable marks that always help people to identify a company.

When a person thinks about Branding; then he firstly thinks of some companies that have billions of dollars to spend for example Amazon, Google, etc. But, even companies with limited marketing budgets can create identifiable, trustworthy brands that leave long-term impressions on people.

A brand identity is a set of tools that are used by a company to create the image of a brand. It consists of various associations and memories related to it.

Brand identity and its elements have their roots in the company’s mission, brand value, long-term goals, competitive position on the market, and relevance to the values and interests of the target audience. These factors have a foundational nature and they describe what a company wants to communicate to its consumers.

What is Marketing?

It is the business term that is perceived in several ways by several experts. Marketing is the process of engaging its target customers through researching, promoting, publishing, and distributing the products and services.

It includes identification of a product, determining its demand, setting up affordable prices along with selecting distribution channels, and implementing promotional strategies to generate sales.

What is the relationship between Branding and Marketing?

Let us have a look at it to clear the concept.

Product is the key tool in the process of marketing; as it has to decide in what way it would be befitting and satisfying the needs of the consumers.

Price plays a vital role in the field of marketing. Most of the consumers check out the price before purchasing any product. So the price of any product should always be affordable for the consumers.

Promotion refers to all the communication that is done to highlight the quality and benefits of the products and services within the market to increase sales.

There are several kinds of marketing strategies that include Marketing Plan, Digital Marketing, Direct Marketing, Email Marketing, Mobile Marketing, etc. which helps your business in countless ways. For example, raising brand awareness, generating leads, increasing revenue, building trust in your brand, etc.

Digital Marketing utilizes the internet and all the digital technologies such as Desktops, Laptops, mobile phones, and other digital media and platforms to promote products and services to get a maximum number of consumers.

Email Marketing is the act of sending a commercial message to a group of people, using email. It may be friends, family, colleagues, neighbors, etc. Mobile Marketing is a multi-sourced online marketing technique that focuses on reaching a specific audience through smartphones, feature phones, tablets, or any other related devices through websites, E-mail, SMS and MMS, Facebook, Instagram, etc.

The process of market research can be done through surveys, interacting with a group of people, taking their reviews on certain products or services introduced by an organization. The main purpose of market research is to know how the audience reacts to a particular product, document their opinion, and make a worthwhile decision.

What is more important; Branding or Marketing?

To understand this concept we would first need to understand what is the relationship between Branding and Marketing? Branding and marketing, both are used to add value for the consumers by creating the reason to buy and use a particular product or service of any organization. However, both are different in several ways; but still, they are associated with each other in many ways. As they belong to one family so they always need to walk together in every fortune and misfortune of the organization.

What is the difference between Branding and Marketing?

Marketing

a. Marketing says,” I am unique than others; I have some best things associated with me which others do not provide; so just use my products once and see the results.”
b. It goes to the consumers to showcase its attributes.
c. Marketing asks the consumers to get attracted to the organization.

Branding

a. Branding says, “These are my attributes. My qualities have made my brand of this organization. If you like me then you can afford me; if not then you can move on to others. After all, it’s your wish.”
b. It showcases its attributes without going to the consumers.
c. Consumers get attracted of their own towards the organization after seeing the personality.

Branding is a long-termed process while Marketing is short-termed. Branding is strategic while Marketing is tactical. Branding begins with the organization while Marketing begins with the consumers.

What comes first?

We all are aware of an ancient riddle that says, ‘What comes first; the Chicken or the Egg?’ The same question arises in our minds when we think about Branding and Marketing. ‘What comes first; Branding or Marketing?’ Do you know what comes first?

Branding and Marketing are very much interconnected with each other that it becomes tricky to find out what comes first. The most successful companies focus and give equal importance to both brandings as well marketing. But, Branding comes first as it indicates who and what the organization is and always lives in the heart and minds of the customers; whereas marketing comes second by giving its support to the brand which is helping to find and motivate consumers. Both the terms have their own values.

Ridiculously, Branding is the Engine and Marketing is the fuel needed to run it. If there is no engine then where the fuel would go? It is the branding that gives the market a platform to showcase the talent. Also, marketing is the one without which a brand cannot get highlighted. They both are associated with each other; and incomplete without each other, as a story is incomplete without its essence.